Students applying to our program will also need to register with ERAS
(Electronic Residency Application Service). Residency applications,
recommendation letters, transcripts, etc., will be sent to our program
through ERAS. A complete application will include: CAF, three
recommendation letters, personal statement, medical school transcript.
USMLE Step 1 transcript and Step 2 transcript (if available).

Applications must be complete by October 15th (though Dean's letters may
arrive later).

Residents will spend all five years under the auspices of the
Otolaryngology program. There is no need to register with the NRMP for a
General Surgery-Preliminary position.

Our Resident Program Committee reviews applications and offers
interviews to select candidates. We schedule the interviews during the
months of December and January.

Interview dates for 2019-2020:

Friday, November 15, 2019

Wednesday, December 4, 2019

Monday, December 9, 2019

Wednesday, December 18, 2019

Residency Application Procedure

First Year (PGY-1)
This year is very similar to the traditional general surgery internship, though first year residents are also exposed to emergency medicine, critical care, anesthesia, and neurosurgery. Other surgical rotations provide the basic education and experience necessary for the eventual care of head and neck surgery patients. Three months of this year are spent rotating on the Otolaryngology service.

Second Year (PGY-2)
During the first full year of Otolaryngology training, we emphasize the development of a high level of diagnostic skills and early exposure to operative techniques. During the first three months of the second year, the new residents participate in a series of one to two hour conferences per day which are entitled "The Basic Introduction to Otolaryngology." These sessions provide an overview of the specialty and serve as a springboard for in-depth training. At the present time, the second year resident is a part of a larger team on a specific service for four months. These services provide care for private and non-private patients at John Sealy Hospital, Jennie Sealy Hospital, and Victory Lakes Hospital. During this time, the second year resident works under the direct supervision of a senior resident. Emphasis is placed on out-patient diagnostic and therapeutic skills, preoperative evaluation, assistance with more complex otolaryngologic surgical procedures, audiology and speech pathology, and mastering minor surgical procedures. The second year resident also begins to develop a research plan to be executed during the third year.

Third Year (PGY-3)
During this year, there are required rotations. There is a 4-month research rotation during which the resident participates in an independent scientific project under the direction of faculty. This rotation is fully supported financially and logistically by the department's research resources.

Fourth Year (PGY-4)
The fourth year of the residency program begins the phase of training which is comparable to the senior resident year in most otolaryngology programs. This is the year with the heaviest concentration of surgical activities. It is during this year that the residents rotate through the M. D. Anderson Cancer Center in the Houston Medical Center. There are also major responsibilities for the care of in-patients as well as the out-patient clinic. It is our goal that by the time the resident completes this year of training, he or she should be thoroughly grounded in all aspects of otolaryngology and capable of functioning independently as a general otolaryngologist.

Fifth Year (PGY-5)
This year completes the final portion of the senior resident experience and is designed to permit the resident some flexibility to pursue areas of special interest. We feel that this year often eliminates the need for a post-residency fellowship and permits the graduating resident to enter either an academic environment or a private practice situation with the necessary preparation to function at a high level of expertise. Residents rotate on 3 different services and function as the chief, with responsibilities for patient care and teaching. The residents in this year will share the responsibility for the coordination of teaching conferences and the selection of some topics to be discussed.

The University of Texas Medical Branch
UTMB is the oldest medical training facility in Texas. It was established in 1881 by a vote of the people of Texas and has a long and rich tradition of high quality medical education. The UTMB research enterprise has enjoyed a period of rapid growth and development during the past decade, due to the generous support of the state legislature, private foundations, and successful competition for federal research funds. UTMB is the only state supported general hospital in Texas and, as such, serves as the primary referral hospital for many of the indigent patients in the state who are not residents of one of the four major metropolitan communities. For more information about the history of UTMB School of Medicine, click here.

John Sealy Hospital
For more than a century, the University of texas Medical branch (UTMB Health) has served the needs of Texas and Texans from its large Galveston campus, long anchored by the John Sealy Hospital. The 12-story hospital includes single patient rooms and specialized care units. John Sealy Hospital houses the world-renown Blocker Burn Unit, Mother & Baby and Labor & Delivery Units, the Children's Hospital, and the Sleep Lab. For more information about John Sealy Hospital, click here.

Jennie Sealy Hospital
The new Jennie Sealy Hospital opened in April 2016, and reinforces the commitment of UTMB to provide the best possible care for our patients and the best environment for our physicians to care for patients in a setting that nurtures and enriches the learning experience for all of our students. It is a 310 patient room facility that includes 60 dedicated ICU beds, a 28-bed day surgery unit, and 20 state-of-the-art operating suites. For more information about Jennie Sealy Hospital, click here.

Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery Out-Patient Clinic
The Department of Otolaryngology has three state-of-the-art clinics for our out-patient clinical care activities and teaching. Our newest clinic is located on the island and the other two are located on the mainland in Texas City and League City. Our practices are championed by a faculty of driven physicians, who have trained at leading centers throughout the country. Our physicians provide care ranging from routine health maintenance and screening to intensive surgical management. To view our clinics and their locations, click here.

League City Campus Hospital
UTMB Health opened the first hospital in League City complete with inpatient and outpatient care, medical and surgical specialties, after-hours urgent care and 24-hour emergency department. The League City Campus offers advanced health care services to patients in a soothing, healing environment. Each private state-of-the-art patient room supports a team-based, patient-centered and family-centered approach. For more information about the League City Campus Hospital, click here.

Texas Department of Criminal Justice Hospital (UTMB-TDCJ)
This facility is a general acute care facility accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health Care Organizations (JCAHO). The UTMB-TDCJ Hospital remains the first and only hospital specializing in offender care on the campus of a major medical center and teaching institution. The TDCJ service constitutes an invaluable part of the Otolaryngology training program with a great variety of interesting pathology and trauma cases that contribute to the medical and surgical education components of our program. For more information about the Texas Department of Criminal Justice Hospital, click here.

Center for Audiology and Speech Pathology
The center is a comprehensive regional facility for the diagnosis and rehabilitation of patients with communicative disorders. Administratively, it is a Division of the Department of Otolaryngology. The Center includes areas for teaching and research as well as a broad range of diagnostic and rehabilitative facilities for hearing and speech disorders. For more information about The Center for Audiology and Speech Pathology, click here.

Temporal Bone Lab
This lab is supervised by Tomoko Makshima, MD. It is a 6-station temporal bone lab complete with microscopes, drills, suction, irrigation, and instruments available for resident use. Cadaver temporal bones are readily available through our anatomy department.

Microvascular Lab
This lab is supervised by Vicente Resto, MD, PhD.. Microvascular surgery is performed by our residents. This facility provides opportunities for residents to hone their skills in microvascular anastomosis in preparation for free flap reconstruction cases.

Surgical Skills Lab
This facility is our very own "anatomy lab." Residents perform anatomic dissections as well as simulated surgical procedures during their training. An important philosophy of our training program, developed by Dr. Bailey, is that knowledge and ability, not pre-determined timelines, should dictate the operative responsibilities given the residents. Expert anatomic knowledge, a pre-requisite for this approach, is obtained in the surgical skills lab.

Molecular Biology Lab
This lab is supervised by Tomoko Makishima, M.D. This facility, which is immediately adjacent to the departmental offices, is a state-of-the-art, multipurpose wet lab, developed through a generous investment of departmental resources by Dr. Bailey and provides faculty and residents with a convenient and low-cost venue for the pursuit of basic or translational research projects. We have equipment and instrumentation for tissue processing and storage, tissue culture, electrophoresis, hybridization, RT-PCR, ELISA, cell separation, etc. Residents using this facility have gone on to secure Triologic Society Research Grants and faculty members have successfully obtained NIH funding from pilot projects originated here.

Resident Research Education

Each resident is required to participate in research and publication efforts during the period of his/her training. Substantial direction and assistance is provided by the faculty and support personnel within the department which permits this experience to be maximally productive with a minimal investment of time. Residents may pursue their own interests or participate in some manner in ongoing projects within the department. In the second year of training, residents begin the process of choosing a project and mentor. During the third year of training, a 4 month block of protected time is set aside for the execution of the research plan. Monthly research conferences assist the residents as they prepare, perform, and then analyze the results of their study.

Fringe benefits at the present time include medical insurance for the entire family, dental insurance for the Resident, and Professional Liability Insurance. A variable amount of money is available for travel to meetings and the purchase of books and journals.